Badia Nuova

The Badia Nuova complex was founded in the early 17th century when a community of Benedictine nuns established a new monastery around the Church of Santa Maria del Soccorso. It grew into one of Trapani's principal religious institutions, with an extensive convent, gardens and a belvedere overlooking the city. Historical accounts also describe a subterranean passage that allowed the enclosed nuns to reach a panoramic viewpoint without leaving the monastery.

Following the suppression of many religious orders after the unification of Italy, the monastery passed into state ownership. In the early 20th century the former convent was remodelled in the Liberty style to become Trapani's Palazzo delle Finanze, headquarters of the provincial financial administration, while the historic church remained at the heart of the complex.

Inside, the church was renowned for its richly decorated Baroque interior, with coloured marble pavements, stucco decoration, paintings by Andrea Carreca and other leading artists, and an elaborate high altar in pietre dure. Although parts of this decorative programme have been altered over time, early descriptions preserve valuable evidence of one of Trapani's finest ecclesiastical interiors.

Today, the Church of Santa Maria del Soccorso continues to serve as a place of worship, while the former monastery remains an important historic landmark that illustrates the changing role of religious institutions in the life of Trapani.